Dry-kiln.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

- A. JQUPHUS.

DRY K-ILN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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s rn rgns PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON J. UIH US, Ol SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN WOODEXTRACT OOlliPANY, O1 SEATTLE, WASHINGTO N, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

DRY-ICILN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1,908.

Application filed December 9, 1907. Serial No. 405,810.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANToN J. Urnos, a citizen oi the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry-Kilns, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to dry-kilns; and while it may advantageously beemployed in various services, it is especially intended for use in thedrying of lumber and other away.

wood products.

The object of the invention is the improvement in the efficiency ofapparatus of this type through the utilization of a readily controlleddrying agent to its maximum extent and of so applying such agent that itwill act directly upon the material being treated as Well as serving tomaintain the dry-house at a uniformly high temperature; and whereby thedrying is reflected with a minimum of deterioration such as fromwarping, checking or splitting, and at a relatively low cost.

With these and other ends in view, the invention consists in the novelconstruction, adaptation and combination of parts, will be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a central longitudinal vertical section ofa dry-kiln embodying my invention and with the inner part of thedisclosed side wall partly broken Fig. 2 is a plan view taken through2--2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse scctionai views takenrespectively through and -t-4 of Figs. 1 and 2.

The kiln structure is comprised of side walls 5 and 5, a top 6, a floor7, a rear wall 8, a.-d, at the front, a hinged door 9. Each of thesewalis as well as the roof and floor are chambered to providecommunicating flues,

brought into or removed from the kiln with a charge of lumber.

12 is 2. pi e line leading from a source of steam supp y and is rovidedwith one or more branches 12 W ich extend into the kiln-chamber. Thesebranches are closed at their extremities, as by caps 12, but areforaminated interio'rly of the kiln so that the steam is emitted bymultitudinous 'ets into the kiln chamber. 13 represents val ves for reulating the admission of steam to said branc 1 pipes. Opening into thekiln chamber is a dischar e pipe 14 for conducting the exhaust steamTI'ODl this chamber, after the steam has acted u on a charge, to theaftersaid ilues in the ki 11 structure. These fiues com rise alongitudinal one 15 at or near the )ottom of the wall 5', into which theexhaust steam first enters from the pipe 14 thence it flows bycross-fines 15 extendin through the floor 7 to vertically arranged ilues15 in the other side wall 5, wherefrom it is led by return flues 15 inthe kiln top 6 to down1:low i'lues 15 in the wall 5, whence it escapesthrough a passage 15 to an uptake flue 15" discharging ordinarily intothe atmosphere. Under certain conditions, however, as for recovering themore volatile products from resinous woods, the flue 15 would beconnected with a suitable condenser or with a gasometer.

The end of pipe 14 entering the flue 15 is desirably located aboutcentrally of the length of the kiln and intermediate the fines 15 inorder that the steam discharge from the pipe may be baffled in itscourse sufiiciently to distribute the same among several i'lues 15 andto furthermore retard its flow to enable a portion of the steam'entering through a passage 15 into communicating fiues 15 and 15 in thekiln wall 8 which, in turn, connect by a (luct15 with the uptake flue15.

At the junction of the fines 15 with 15 is a'longitudinal assage 15connecting them together and li 'ewise with the flue 15* to es tablish aflow therebetween to e ualize pressures in each. The transverse i uesare desirably formed with their bottoms sloping so that the condensationwhich may occur can be collected and drawn off by pipes such as 16.

Ventilating pipes such as 17. and 17' are respectively rovided at thelower and upper parts of the kiln chamber for the intake and egress ofair which is oftentimes employed in the drying processes and areseverally rovided with removable caps 17 or'equiva ent obturatingdevices, such as valves.

14 is an outlet to the pipe '14 whereby connection is made to acondenser instead of utilizing, as before explained, the steam withinthe kiln Walls, and to such ends valves 18 and 18' are provided tocontrol the direction of the flow. Where it isdeterrnined to divert theexhaust steam from the kilnfiues, it is obvious that the flue-spaces ofthe wall will serve to render the latter .poori conductors of heat, andthe loss thereof radiation would be less than if solid.

The door 9 is arranged with a acking strip, or gasket, 9 about itsedges, w il'fe the door itself should be lined with asbestos branequivalent heat non-conducting material. 3

The charge of lumber, shinglesflath or othermill products which is to bedried, is loaded upon acar in such a mannerithat kiln to immediately actupon the charge which, in being subjected to a high temperature, affectsthe same to cause the exudation of its contained liquids by a sweatingprocess, as it were, and also such of the solid com- 'ponents thereof aswould be rendered into fluids by the action of the prevailing heat.

Such exuded substances are to an extent taken up by the steam andconveyed therewith, in the earliest portion of the'drying, through theoutlet 14 to a condenser for separating the foreign volatilizedsubstances from the steam. The residue of the exuded substances, thatis, the less volatile, gravitates to the floor of the chamber whence itcan be drawn on by the pipes 16. After thus continuin the process for atime dependent upon tie character of the wood being treated, or untilthe more volatile of the exudations have been removed, thecurrent of thedischarge steam is caused to flow into and through the fiues of the kilnstructure and thus continued until the drying of the charge iscompleted, or nearly so, when the steam may be entirely out ofl'.

The ventilating pipes 17 and 17 are respectively employe to admit dryair into the kiln and liberate the same without the kiln the charge.

superheated steam is.

in a moist condition and when the drying of the charge has been nearlycompleted through the direct action of the steam upon The air in beingallowed to flow through the previously heated kiln is capable ofcompleting the drying operations through its capacity to absorb heat andmoisture.

Among the advantages inherent to the present invention isthe rapiditywith which the drying-of lumber may be attained, thus accomplishing by arelatively small kiln, .by a repetition of drying rocesses' uponsuccessive charges, the wor which has hitherto been "subjected forlonger periods in other and larger types of kilns.

Mill products which are dried in the de-' 1'. The combination with adry-kiln pro- I vided with communicating flues in its walls, a pipeleading from a source of steam supply and extending mto'the chamber, airmlet and outlet pipes making communication with the interior of-thechamber and the atmosphere eXteriorly of the kiln, and means to regulatethe flow of air through such last named pipes,

of a pipe conduit for discharging the steam from the kiln chamber intosaid flues.

2. The combination with a dry-kiln pro-- vided with communicating fluesin its top,

bottom and vertical walls, a pipe leading from a source of steam supplyand extending into the chamber, air inlet and outlet pipes makingcommunication between the interior of the chamber and the atmosphereexteri- 3. The combination with a dry-kiln pro-- vided withcommunicating flues in its walls, and a pipe leading from a source ofsteam supply and extending into the chamber and provided withperforations within such chamber, of a pipe conduit for discharging thesteam from the kilncharnber into said Hues. -l. The combination with adry-kiln provided with communicating flues in its walls, and a pipeleading from a source of steam supply and extending into the chamber andprovided with perforations within such chamber, of apipe conduit fordischarging the steam from the kiln-chamber into said flues, and meanswhereby such flow of steam may be discharged without entering said froma source of steam supply and extending into the chamber, of a pipeconduit for discharging the steam from the kiln chamber regulate theflow of air through such last named pipes,/of a pipe conduit fordischarging the steam from the kiln chamber into said ilucs, and meanswhereby such flow of steam may be discharged without enter1ng sa1dflues.

vided with communicating flues in its top, bottom and vertical walls, apipe leading from a source of steam supplyand extending into the chamberand provided with perforations within such chamber, air inlet and outletpipes making communication between the interior of the chamber and theatmosphere cxtcriorly of the kiln, and means to regulate 7. Thecombination with a dry-kiln prothe flow of air through such last namedpipes, of a pipe conduit for discharging thesteam from the kiln chamberinto said flues, and a valve for regulating theflow of steam throughsaid conduit pipe.

-8. The combination with a dry-kiln provided with communicating flues inits top, bottom and vertical walls, a pipe leading from a source ofsteam supply and extending into the chamber and provided withperforations within such chamber, air inlet and outlet pipes makingcommunication between the interior of the chamber and the atmosphereexteriorly of the kiln, and means to regulate the flow of air throughsuch last named pipes, of a pipe conduit for discharging the steam fromthe kiln chamber into said ilues, a valve for regulating the flow of thesteam through said conduit pipe, and

tering said flues. t In testimony whereof I aflix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

ANTON J. UPIIUS. Witnesses:

N. TALLENTIRE, HORACE BARNES.

means whereby the flow of steam may be discharged without en-.

